Flood situation grave in Bihar, toll rises to 25

PATNA: Twenty-five people have died so far in the current spell of floods in Bihar which has wreaked havoc in 11 districts inundating fresh areas there with several major rivers Ganga, Punpun, Bagmati, Kosi, Burhi Gandak and Adhwara in spate, officials said today.

Over two million people in Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi, Sheohar, Saharsa, East Champaran, Supaul, Darbhanga, Madhubani, Patna, Katihar and Bhagalpur are reeling under the impact of the calamities, they said.

A report from East Champaran said six persons were washed away in different parts of the district. While two girls were swept away at Sundarpur-Dubaha village in Madhuban block, a man got drowned when a wooden bridge collapsed at Ahirwatola in Raxaul block. Three persons were swept away at Areraj, Siswania and Purpotipur villages of the district, reports said.

A report from Muzaffarpur said five persons have so far lost their lives in the worst-hit Aurai block. Minister of state for Information and Public Relations and local MLA Arjun Rai told PTI that two persons each were drowned in flood at Rajkhand and Rampur villages and one at Chehuta.

While 12 people lost their lives in Bhagalpur district, one each died in Darbhanga and Sitamarhi.

An ex-gratia of Rs 50,000 has already been distributed to the families of each of the victims.

The Bihar government has cancelled leave of its employees in the flood-hit districts, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, who reviewed the flood-fighting and relief operations at a high-level meeting here, said.